FALL 2019 Responding to Community Need Acting to Empower Students As a direct result of your support, PUENTE served 2,374 students and community members in 2018-19. Together, we are increasing access to education for Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, and beyond. This newsletter details how your support has helped PUENTE teachers achieve outstanding results that benefit our students—and ultimately, our entire city. Thank you for all you do in support of the PUENTE mission. Jerome Greening PUENTE Interim CEO PUENTETODAY As we started the 2019-20 school year, hundreds of PUENTE students and community members celebrated at the Back to School Bash on August 24th. The event featured food, music, and a local resources fair. PUENTE Charter School welcomed its inaugural class of 2nd graders this fall. The school is adding one grade level each year until 2022, when PUENTE Charter will serve over 350 students in grades TK-5. PUENTE has begun the renovation project to upgrade the building, accommodate the full elementary school, and maintain our level of service for all other programs. Work is scheduled to be completed by late 2020. As PUENTE Charter expands, the school is celebrating its work with English learners, who make up the majority of Charter students. In 2018, 35% of English learner students were re-classified as English proficient—a rate that greatly exceeds nearby traditional public schools. Back to School Adult Student Story Hector Magallón was retired when he first came to PUENTE in 2017 for his granddaughter’s kindergarten graduation. He could never have imagined that visit would make his retirement more flexible and rewarding. Hector enrolled in computer classes at PUENTE, and he has persisted in his education for two years. “Everyone at PUENTE takes pride in what they do and so do I,” says Hector. With the foundational IT skills he has acquired, Hector’s career has new resilience, and he is ready to re-join the workforce. On his way to class, he even gets to drop off his granddaughter downstairs at PUENTE Charter. “I feel so happy to have PUENTE. At my age, I didn’t expect to get an opportunity to learn so much and to spend so much time with my granddaughter. Now I am better equipped to give back to my family and to my community.”Program News State Preschool PUENTE has been awarded a grant from the California Department of Education’s public preschool program. Our new state preschool will launch this fall as the program transitions from its longtime 100% privately funded model. PUENTE Preschool will serve 48 children in two part-day sessions with the goal of providing high-quality early childhood education that would otherwise be out of reach for low-income families. College and Career This fall, PUENTE is expanding our College and Career Program. The goal is to increase the number of low-income students of color who break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through education, with a focus on STEAM. Our College Access program serves 240 high school students from Mendez High School and Roybal Learning Center through weekly classes directly on-campus as well as workshops at PUENTE, college visits, internships, SAT test preparation, and scholarships. We have also begun College Success for post-secondary education. Our initial cohort of first-year college students will receive mentorship, financial support, and internship opportunities in order to persist through college and be prepared for success in the workplace. “My child really opened up when he was in preschool at PUENTE. He figured out how to make friends and found his feet at school. It was so important to give him such a great experience so early on.” –Raul Guerrero, PUENTE Parent “PUENTE has opened doors for me that shaped the person I am today. They helped me get inspired to persevere and take advantage of the resources that are available to me.” –Kristian Anaya PUENTE student and Scholarship Recipient Leave a Legacy that Reflects Your Values As PUENTE approaches its 35th anniversary in 2020, consider creating a lasting legacy by including PUENTE in your estate planning. Ensure that the gift of education remains available to future generations. Your support today plays a crucial role in sustaining our high level of educational excellence and community impact as we look forward to the next 35 years. For more information, contact us at donate@puente.org or 323-780-8900. PRESCHOOL • CHARTER SCHOOL • AFTER SCHOOL • SUMMER CAMP • COLLEGE AND CAREER • ESL • HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND HISET CERTIFICATION • DIGITAL INITIATIVES 501 S. BOYLE AVENUE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90033 (323)780 8900 donate@puente.orgNext >